interview
PC Control 01 | 2017
82 mm
|
40 mm
PC Control 01 | 2017
interview
|
Interview with Roland van Mark on the new universal Industrial PC that further expands
the application spectrum of PC-based control
Ultra compact C6015 Industrial PC:
Extreme space savings and flexibility
The new ultra compact C6015 Industrial PC (IPC) from Beckhoff is designed for universal
application in automation, visualization and communication tasks. As Roland van Mark,
Product & Marketing Management Industrial PC, explains in this interview, the new model
is inexpensive, compact and flexible to install, opening doors to application areas that were
previously closed to IPC technology.
Where is the C6015 ultra compact IPC positioned in the Beckhoff
four cores, and by the design as a passively cooled, long-term available device
portfolio with regard to potential application areas?
in a robust aluminum-zinc die-cast housing. It also meets other industrial requirements, such as an extended operating temperature range of up to +55 °C
Roland van Mark: With dimensions of only 82 x 82 x 40 mm, the C6015 is
(131 °F) and exceptional vibration and shock resistance. I don’t believe that
one-third the size of the C6905, previously the most compact cabinet-mounted
this level of CPU power paired with all necessary PC interfaces has ever been
IPC in our portfolio. With cost savings of roughly 25 percent, it ranks far below
available for industrial applications in such a small device.
the former lowest-cost x86 PCs from Beckhoff. This means that engineers can
now implement automation, visualization and communication tasks for small
How did you manage to develop such a compact design?
to medium-sized applications very cost-effectively, with a minimal footprint.
Furthermore, it opens doors to applications where PC-based control technology
Roland van Mark: Our extensive motherboard development expertise was a
was not being used until now, or where motherboards had to be customized
critical factor in designing this exceptionally compact single-board computer.
at great expense.
We also paid close attention to user requirements and preferences. Even if it is
ultra compact, an IPC must still provide all the necessary interfaces for typical
What are the most important features of the C6015?
automation tasks. In addition to the power supply, these devices include two
independent Ethernet ports, one USB 2.0 and one USB 3.0 port, as well as a
Roland van Mark: The most important feature is its extremely compact size
DisplayPort. These interfaces are what ultimately determined the size of the IPC,
without compromising suitability for industrial applications. This is demonstrated by the high performance of the integrated Intel® Atom™ CPU with up to
because to keep the cabling simple, they had to be located on the same side,
necessitating the 82 mm housing edge length.
|
interview
PC Control 01 | 2017
The ultra compact C6015 is just one third the size of the C6905,
previously the smallest cabinet IPC available from Beckhoff.
How does this design simplify the IPC installation in extremely
industrial-grade product. Another important aspect is our quality control, which
confined spaces?
is performed entirely at the Beckhoff factory in Verl. We perform thorough tests
of the boards after the assembly process, before and after installation in the
Roland van Mark: With the minimal size of the C6015, the six interfaces with
housing and final tests of the finished IPC.
their connectors and cables almost take up more space than the IPC itself.
Therefore, it is a key benefit that the connection level of the ultra compact IPC can
The C6015 was especially designed for cost-sensitive applications
be precisely matched to the orientation of the cable inlet, usually predetermined
where space is at a premium. Can you give us some concrete ex-
by the machine layout. This is particularly true in space-constrained applications.
amples?
We accommodate this with a highly flexible installation concept. Using two
mounted on a back wall or snapped onto a DIN rail. Moreover, the C6015
Roland van Mark: With its powerful Intel® Atom™ CPU, the ultra compact IPC
is especially well-suited for small and medium-sized applications in the areas of
can be positioned anywhere within a specific mounting frame because of its
automation, visualization and communication. It works particularly well where
symmetrical cooling fins. Rotating the IPC will not affect its heat management,
machine designers otherwise need to integrate highly individualized electronics,
because the cooling fins dissipate the heat equally in all directions. As a result,
usually because of lack of space or for historical design reasons. If you want to
the installer can align the connector face perfectly with the incoming cables. In
stay up-to-date in technological terms, such customized designs can become
the past, this was often not possible and ultimately may have prevented the use
very expensive very quickly. In addition, most machine designers’ strength lies
of Industrial PCs in especially small installation spaces.
in the end process and mechanical engineering, which is often much easier
different installation frame types, the IPC can be vertically or horizontally
to implement if they just buy the latest control electronics from a third party.
What are the advantages of the single-board design?
The same applies to many research institutions, test-bed builders and process
technology companies.
Roland van Mark: Designing the IPC as a single-board unit means that we
can build a compact device in our own factory according to highest standards
of efficiency and reliability. The user receives a high-quality, yet affordable
PC Control 01 | 2017
interview
|
One of the outstanding features of the ultra compact IPC
is its exceptionally flexible installation concept.
“Despite its compact size and economical price, the ultra compact C6015 IPC from
Beckhoff does not compromise its suitability for industrial applications.”
Roland van Mark, Product & Marketing Management Industrial PC
What role does the trend towards more modular and cabinet-free
machines play in this context?
Roland van Mark: The trend is to do away with control cabinets as machine designs are becoming increasingly modular, which means that space requirements
play a growing role in terms of the control technology. As already mentioned,
the C6015 is very compact and cost-effective, making it ideal for decentralized
layouts. For example, engineers can now install local intelligence in smaller
machine modules where a separate control cabinet would be too costly or
cumbersome. This kind of design can significantly simplify the modularization
and standardization of machine modules.
To what extent does this advantage apply to Industrie 4.0 and the
Internet of Things?
Roland van Mark: Decentralizing the intelligence is critical for Industrie 4.0
and IoT concepts. I foresee numerous potential applications for the C6015 where
users want to collect machine and process data for transmission to cloud-based
systems in very confined installation spaces. In such cases, the ultra compact IPC
can function as an intelligent IoT gateway, which is also able to buffer large data
volumes or to run remote diagnostics. This capability has been underlined by the
confirmation of the C6015 as an Azure Certified device listed in the Microsoft
Azure IoT device catalog.
Further information:
www.beckhoff.com/C6015